What is an ONJN license? It is the authorization issued by Romania’s National Gambling Office (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc, ONJN) under OUG 77/2009. A company offering gambling to players in Romania needs a Class 1 license plus a current operating authorization; defined suppliers, such as game studios, platforms, payment processors, testing laboratories and affiliates, need a Class 2 license. A foreign gambling license does not authorize activity aimed at Romania.
The license matters because it identifies the company legally responsible for the gambling or the supplier service, puts that business under Romanian supervision, and gives players and business partners something they can check. It is not a guarantee that every game, promotion or transaction is risk-free. If you are a company planning to obtain one, our Romania gambling license overview covers both routes, fees and timelines.
ONJN licenses at a glance
| Question | Class 1 (B2C operator) | Class 2 (B2B supplier) |
|---|---|---|
| Who needs it | Businesses that organize gambling for players | Businesses carrying out defined supplier activities |
| Examples | Online casino, sportsbook, poker, bingo; casinos, betting shops and slot halls | Game studios, platforms and hosting, payment processors, test labs, affiliates |
| License term | 10 years | 10 years |
| Annual operating authorization | Yes, renewed every year | No |
| 2026 annual statutory minimum | €1,280,000 for remote operators | €35,000 per category (€45,500 in year one) |
| Financial guarantee | €2,000,000, or €5,000,000 for online casino | None |
| Can take bets from players | Yes, on authorized domains | No |
Class 1 remote figures: €300,000 license fee, 30% of gross gaming revenue with a €480,000 minimum, €500,000 responsible-gambling contribution. Class 2: €10,500 one-off issuance fee, then €20,000 license fee and €15,000 contribution a year. Land-based Class 1 activities have their own fees. Details: Class 1 operator license and Class 2 (B2B) license.
1. What the ONJN does
The ONJN is Romania’s single gambling regulator for land-based and online gambling. It issues licenses and operating authorizations, supervises licensees, enforces responsible-gambling rules, keeps the national self-exclusion register and pursues unauthorized operators. It also keeps a public blacklist of illegal gambling domains, which internet service providers must block. The legal framework is OUG 77/2009, its implementing rules in HG 111/2016 and later amendments, including Law 107/2024 and Law 141/2025.
Two distinctions matter. Registering a company in Romania is not permission to organize gambling. And a supplier’s Class 2 license does not let that supplier accept bets: only a Class 1 operator with a current authorization may do that.
What a Class 1 license certifies
An ONJN license is not a registration or a fee receipt. Before granting a Class 1 license, the regulator assesses the applicant’s ownership, financial standing, legal structure, technical systems and security. For an online operator that means a Romanian company or permanent establishment, games and random number generators certified by an accredited laboratory, a mirror server in Romania that gives ONJN access to data, share capital of RON 1,000,000 for remote gambling and the financial guarantee.
The license lasts ten years, but operating also requires an authorization renewed every year, tied to paying the annual fees and staying compliant. That annual cycle is why a license from five years ago tells you little; the current authorization is what matters.
2. Why players should check the license
A large bonus or a long game list protects no one when something goes wrong. The license gives an identifiable, supervised counterparty.
- Identity and funds. Licensed operators verify identity, keep player funds traceable, publish their terms and handle complaints, which players can escalate to the ONJN.
- Certified games. Games and RNGs must be certified, and ONJN can see operator data through the mirror server. Certification means the published rules are the ones that run; it does not guarantee wins.
- Payments. Licensed operators use regulated payment providers and are reporting entities under the anti-money-laundering law, Law 129/2019.
- Responsible gambling. Deposit limits, reality checks, account monitoring and self-exclusion are mandatory. Land-based self-exclusion runs through a national register under ONJN Order 79/2025; see self-exclusion breaches and ONJN enforcement.
Players should still read withdrawal terms, bonus conditions and the responsible-gambling tools on offer.
3. How to verify an ONJN license: five checks
- Identify the operator. Find the exact company name and license details in the site’s footer and terms. Treat the ONJN logo as a claim, not proof: images can be copied.
- Check the ONJN Class 1 register. On onjn.gov.ro, search for the company and confirm that the exact domain you are on is listed. Many brands run several domains; only listed ones are authorized. As of 5 October 2026 the register showed 28 entries covering 92 domains.
- Check the blacklist. If the domain, or a near copy of it, is on the ONJN blacklist, leave. The list held 2,881 domains on 25 September 2026, and in a single meeting in July 2026 the ONJN added about 800 sites.
- Confirm the authorization is current. A ten-year license on its own does not prove that this year’s operating authorization is in force.
- Keep a record. Business partners should save the check date, operator name, domain and register reference, and ask for the license decision and current authorization before signing.
Register and blacklist counts change every week; the figures above are dated snapshots, not live totals. Our post on how sites get blacklisted and how to become legal explains the listing process from the operator’s side.
4. What a Class 1 license costs in 2026
The short Class 1 register is no accident: Romania is one of Europe’s most expensive operator licenses. For remote gambling, the recurring statutory minimum is:
| Annual obligation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Remote Class 1 license fee | €300,000 |
| Operating authorization fee (Law 141/2025, since 28 July 2025) | 30% of GGR, minimum €480,000 |
| Responsible-gambling contribution | €500,000 |
| Minimum annual statutory charges | €1,280,000 |
The financial guarantee of €2,000,000 (€5,000,000 for online casino) is separate: it is security held for the life of the license, not a fee paid away. One-off filing and issuance fees, share capital, technology, certification, tax and operating costs come on top, and the table is not a quote for a land-based casino, betting shop or slot hall. The full schedule is in our analysis of gambling taxes in Romania in 2026.
For players, the practical point is simple. An operator that has paid this entry price and posted a seven-figure guarantee has something to lose if it mistreats customers. An unlicensed site has paid nothing in Romania and risks nothing.
5. What Class 2 is, and whether every supplier needs it
Class 2 covers defined activities in the regulated supply chain: gambling software production and distribution, platform management and hosting, gaming equipment, payment processing, testing and certification, and affiliate activity. Not every company that works with gambling operators needs it. An ordinary IT contractor, a general advertising agency or a news publisher is assessed on what it actually does, not on who its clients are.
For one category, the 2026 statutory cost is €45,500 in year one and €35,000 a year after, with no tax on revenue. Because it is far cheaper than Class 1, the Class 2 register is much longer: 413 entries for about 355 companies on 5 October 2026. The application step by step is in how to obtain a gambling B2B license in Romania.
Two rules make the Class 2 register a useful check for business partners. Since Law 107/2024, Class 2 holders may not serve operators that accept Romanian players without a Class 1 license (the Class 2 supplier ban). Since Law 141/2025, licensees for gambling software, platforms and hosting, and payment processing must also detect player location, block Romanian access through unlicensed operators and report to ONJN. Those reporting duties do not apply automatically to affiliates or equipment suppliers; see our Class 2 reporting guide.
6. What happens without the required license
- For players: no Romanian protection or ONJN complaint route, withdrawals that stall, bonus terms written to block cash-outs, self-exclusion and limits that do not bind, and masked payment flows that can put your own bank account under review.
- For operators: blacklisting, blocked payments and fines. ONJN has also pushed Google, Meta and TikTok to remove illegal gambling ads; see the black market and the ad platforms.
- For affiliates, platforms and payment partners: working with an unauthorized domain creates their own compliance and contractual exposure, and for Class 2 holders it can cost the license.
The Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission are serious regulators in their own markets, but a Maltese or UK license gives Maltese or UK protections and nothing more in Romania. A site that shows a foreign license instead of an ONJN authorization to Romanian players is relying on players not knowing the law.
7. Is an ONJN license enough to launch?
No. The license class is one part of lawful operation. A Class 1 operator also needs the annual operating authorization, certified games and systems, ownership and capital requirements, AML and KYC controls, responsible-gambling tools, Class 2-licensed suppliers and continuing filings. Land-based venues face local approval too: since 2026 a local council can veto gambling premises (the local council veto).
The permission covers the authorized entity, activity and domains only. A new product, domain, core supplier or controlling shareholder should be assessed before it goes live; ongoing duties are listed in the deadlines and taxes that keep your license alive.
8. Why it matters to investors and partners
A verifiable ONJN license reduces uncertainty about who the counterparty is, what it may do and which regulator holds it to account. It is often a condition of B2B contracts, audits and payment onboarding. It does not guarantee a bank account, a payment integration or a return: banks and payment providers still run their own checks.
Due diligence should record the license class and term, the authorized domains, the current authorization, the company and its beneficial owners, and any category-specific restrictions.
Verify the permission, not the badge
Check the footer, the register, the domain and the blacklist. If the ONJN license is missing, hidden or replaced by a foreign badge, do not deposit, promote or sign. For operators and suppliers planning to enter Romania legally, Szilaghi Consulting, founded by Alex Szilaghi and licensing gambling businesses since 2004, has helped 38+ B2B clients get licensed in Romania: see the Romania licensing overview or book a free fit call.
Regulatory review: 25 October 2026. Register and blacklist figures are dated snapshots; check live ONJN records before relying on them. General information, not a legal opinion for a particular business.
